Thread: Engine troubles, please help!

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I have a 396 ci big block, 60 over with a relatively mild cam. Here's the problem: Last spring I noticed a ticking sound coming from inside the driver's side valve cover. It got worse and I pulled the valve cover to find that the tip of #5 upper (intake?) pushrod had broken and "caved in" to the hollow portion of the pushrod. I replaced the pushrod and rocker arm and it worked fine for the rest of the summer until October. I again noticed that same sound and pulled the valve cover to find the same thing happened to the same (new) pushrod.

I put the car away for the winter and recently put another pushrod into the motor to get the car running again (the old rocker was not damaged). I only wanted to get the car running and have driven it around 40 miles this year. I think that I hear some ticking starting again and want to get this problem fixed before I drive it any further.

Does anyone know what could be causing this problem? The tip of the pushrod isn't blue, so I think it's getting oil from the lifter. Could it be the spring? Rocker stud? Any help would be great!

Denny W- thanks for the quick reply...and by the way, I'm from Rockford and just moved to Madison two years ago..maybe I saw you at Hooter's on Sunday nights?

As far as I know (from what happened before because I haven't investigated the most recent ticking) there were no wear/scar marks on the rocker or pushrod, only scaring would have happened once the sharp edges of the push rod hit the rocker after the pushrod caved in. I'm pretty sure the rockers were adjusted correctly because the same puchrod location has been giving me the problem. I'm not sure what guide-type rockers are, but the heads are pretty much stock and I'm running stock rockers, so I think the heads have guide plates. They are U shaped right? You might be right about having a bad lifter, I've talked to some of my buddys and they also mentioned that. I just thought this website would give me access to a lot of opinions/experience.

Any other thoughts?

YOU MAY ALSO WANT TO CHECK AND SEE IF INNER SPRING IS BROKEN ON VALVE SPRING.THIS WILL CAUSE VALVE TO FLOAT AND CAN HAMMER THE PUSHROD ALSO AS IT DOESNT KEEP ROCKER TIGHT TO PUSHROD